CHILD BRIDE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING WILL NOT BE EXECUTED.

According to media reports, the death sentence of Noura Hussein, a teenager from Sudan sentenced to death for killing her husband who she was forced to marry and whom she said raped her, has been overturned. Her legal team told CNN that her sentence was replaced with 5 years of imprisonment and a financial penalty of 337K Sudanese Pounds (around 16K Euros, US$18,400 or 14K British Pounds).

Ms Hussein said her husband had recruited some of his own cousins who allegedly held her down as he raped her. When he allegedly attempted to do the same the following day she lashed out at him with a knife and stabbed him to death.

Last month, an Islamic court had sentenced her to death by hanging, following her conviction for the premeditated murder of her husband, Abdulrahman Mohamed Hammad. After an appeal case was heard by the Appeals court, they made the decision that Hussein would instead be sentenced to five years in jail, lawyer Abdelaha Mohamad said.

Her mother, Zainab Ahmed, told the BBC she was happy her daughter’s life had been spared.

International celebrities had backed an online campaign, #JusticeforNoura, to demand Miss Hussein’s release and a petition was opened via change.org on her behalf.

We can’t help but rejoice with her! No one deserves to be killed for defending themselves against such gross discard for a basic human right. We hope this raises the need for an end to be put to child marriage.